CHAPTER 51: HIS CUNNING SCHEME (1)

Gara tightened his grip on his mother’s hand, making sure she wouldn’t lunge at the vile man standing before them.

"You’ve already committed one crime, and now you’re planning another?" Wina said coldly, her voice laced with sarcasm.

"You said Crime? No. This is what a real crime looks like!" Satyo raised his hand threateningly.

Gara braced himself, ready to counter whatever attack came next.

But before anything could happen, footsteps echoed from behind. Some of the villagers had begun descending from the mountain.

Satyo lowered his hand, a mocking smirk on his face. "Looks like luck is on your side today."

He turned and walked off toward the approaching villagers.

Gara quickly tugged his mother away, afraid he himself would lose control and punch the man square in the face.

"I’m going to the general store to buy some seeds. You should go inside and rest," Wina said once they arrived in front of their house.

The fire had come so suddenly. She hadn’t prepared any seed stock at all. Her crops were supposed to last for another year or two. But now everything was gone in an instant.

"No, Mom. I’m coming with you," Gara replied firmly. "I have a bad feeling. I don’t want you going alone."

"We’re still within the village boundary, you don’t have to worry. I don’t want you staying outside the protective barrier too long either," she said, trying to reassure him.

But her precious son shook his head. It wasn’t just a vague bad feeling.

He had consumed enough stories, movies, and media in his original world to know that Satyo was the type of man who would strike when no one was looking.

Still holding her hand tightly, Gara whispered, "Mom, I’m really anxious right now. If I let you go alone, I might get sick from the stress."

A mother can never say no to her child, especially if the child is someone as pure as Gara.

Wina melted at the worried look in his eyes. "Alright then, let’s go together. Best not to waste time."

They made their way to the general store located beside the village hall, just a short walk from the village chief’s house.

As the village’s only general store, it was the heart of all herb farmers. Rows of seed packets lined the shelves, each one labeled with names and prices..

"Morning, Elder Dian."

"Morning, Grandpa Dian."

They greeted the old man behind the counter together. The elderly shopkeeper, his face a web of deep wrinkles, returned their smiles warmly. But worry soon clouded his gaze.

"How bad was the damage up there? Did many fields burn?"

"Mine and part of Elder Abram’s were caught in the fire," Wina replied.

"Poor thing. You should be able to request seed funding from the village if the fire was caused by nature," Grandpa Dian said kindly.

Unfortunately, Wina and Gra knew it wasn’t nature’s doing, but the work of a cruel man.

"The chief isn’t around. I’ll bring it up later. For now, I just need to buy new seeds," Wina replied.

The old man’s face grew even more sympathetic. "Such timing, huh? The village chief gets injured and has to leave for the town right as the fire breaks out..."

Gara’s brow twitched. People knew the chief’s condition? But the words ’gets injured’ didn’t sit right. It sounded like the chief had been hurt by someone.

"Grandpa Dian, you’ve heard about Grandpa Jaya?"

The old man nodded. "Yes. Satyo was just here earlier. He said the village chief won’t be returning anytime soon. Sounded like he was seriously hurt."

Gara’s chest tightened. Something was wrong. Deeply wrong.

He wanted to ask more but Wina had already started discussing the herb seeds. She didn’t want Gara lingering outside any longer.

She just didn’t know that her son often stayed late near the river each time he returned from the fields. And he was always fine with nothing ever happened.

Behind his counter, Grandpa Dian announced, "Bulk seed purchases now require an Herbal Farmer’s Certificate."

"Herbal Farmer’s Certificate? Since when was that rule established, Elder?" Wina asked, clearly confused.

"Satyo just told me earlier," Grandpa Dian explained. "He said the regulation was issued a month ago, but the information hasn’t reached our village yet. He told me I should start enforcing it today unless I want to risk getting a warning."

The old man shuddered slightly, as commoners like him often feared reprimands from nobles or government officials.

"But Elder, I don’t have that certificate yet."

"Satyo said he would help get one made for everyone. Just head over to the village chief’s house," Grandpa Dian replied with a grateful smile, believing Satyo was doing him and the other farmers a favor.

But the mother and son in front of him instantly grew wary.

Wina tried one more time to buy the seeds without the certificate, but Grandpa Dian refused. According to Satyo, he had already committed many violations. So, he didn’t dare to give anyone any lenience.

Realizing that the old man was caught in a difficult position, Wina didn’t push any further.

They turned back and began walking toward the village chief’s house.

"Mom, I really think this whole certificate thing is suspicious," Gara said once they were outside the general store.

"I feel the same," Wina sighed, "but there’s nothing we can do about it right now."

From where they stood, they could already see someone sitting on a wooden bench in front of the chief’s house. That man, Satyo.

He sat with such arrogance, as if he had been waiting for them the whole time. And yet, they had just seen him go up the mountain.

"This is really suspicious, Mom," Gara muttered, holding his mother’s hand to stop her.

"If he demands some outrageous fee for the certificate, I’ll just buy leftover seeds from other villagers," Wina replied, trying to ease Gara’s worry.

But what they didn’t expect was that Satyo’s demand would go far beyond unreasonable.

"Give me Gara. I’ll purchase him at a fair slave price." Satyo said with a smirk, as if he were offering them the deal of a lifetime.

...